5.  The applicant was born in 1964 and lives in Yekaterinburg.
6.  On 1 September 2008 the Chkalovskiy District Court, Yekaterinburg, convicted the applicant of aggravated fraud and sentenced him to seven years’ imprisonment. The operative part of the judgment provided:
“The judgment may be appealed against in the Sverdlovskiy Regional Court... If an appeal is lodged, the convicted person has the right to ask for leave to appear before the appeal court”.
7.  According to the applicant, on 7 September 2008 he lodged a preliminary statement of appeal, in which he sought, among other things, leave to appear before the appeal court. It appears that the statement was lost and that the applicant became aware of that fact no later than 13 October 2008.
8.  On 20 October 2008 the applicant introduced a full statement of appeal, followed by two addenda on 27 October and 14 November 2008. None of these documents referred to his request to appear in person.
9.  On 21 November 2008 the Sverdlovsk Regional Court held an appeal hearing and upheld the conviction. Counsel for the applicant, though not the applicant himself, was present and made oral submissions.
10.  On 1 September 2008 the applicant was placed in Yekaterinburg remand centre IZ-66/1. It appears that he was held there at least until 7 June 2010, the date of the latest correspondence with the Court.
11.  The Government produced, among others, three documents dated 14 January 2010 from the director of remand prison IZ-66/1, which stated that the applicant was an inmate in cells 327, 413, 424 and 425.
12.  According to the documents, the applicant was detained in cell 327 from 1 September to 9 December 2008 and from 22 December 2008 to 29 April 2009. The cell measured 31 sq. m and was equipped with twelve bunk beds. During the above periods it held from thirteen to twenty-nine and from eight to twenty detainees respectively.
13.  Cell 413, occupied by the applicant from 9 to 22 December 2008, measured 9 sq. m and had two bunk beds. During the indicated period it held two inmates.
14.  Cell 424, where the applicant was detained from 29 April to 2 September 2009 and from 3 September 2009 to at least 7 June 2010, measured 27 sq. m and was equipped with ten bunk beds. It held from three to twelve and from five to eleven detainees during these periods.
15.  Cell 425 was occupied by the applicant from 2 to 3 September 2009. It measured 15 sq. m and was equipped with four bunk beds. A total of two inmates stayed in the cell during that period.
16.  The applicant disputed the Government’s submissions concerning the number of inmates and the number of bunk beds. He claimed that cell 327 had contained up to forty-five and cell 424 up to sixteen detainees. He also alleged that cell 327 had had eighteen bunks, and that cell 424 had been equipped with eight sleeping places. The applicant pointed out that he had frequently had to share his bunk with other inmates.
17.  According to the applicant, the cells were poorly lit and ventilated. The toilet pan was not separated from the living area by any partition. He was not provided with any toiletries or individual bedding, and a shower was allowed only every ten days. The diet was inadequate.